


Out of the Other World

by aamunkoitto



Series: The Other World [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Emotionally Hurt Stiles Stilinski, Inspired by Coraline, M/M, Magical Stiles Stilinski, POV Sheriff Stilinski, Sheriff Stilinski is a Good Parent, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is Noah, Spark Stiles Stilinski
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-14
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2019-01-17 07:13:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12360357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aamunkoitto/pseuds/aamunkoitto
Summary: Stiles has been missing for a year now, and Noah is getting desperate. He’s at the house his son disappeared from for the last time – he promised Melissa to stop torturing himself – and looking for something they had missed. He refused to think that his son was dead.Then he found the key, unlocked the door and went in to save his kid who miraculously managed to find trouble where there shouldn’t be any.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't forget this series! I'm a bit late on updating this but I'm going to finish this! This sequel is going to be short but I hope you still like it.
> 
> Again, inspired by Coraline theories.

 

Noah knew the search was pointless; if a pack of sharp-nosed werewolves hadn't found Stiles then he sure as hell wasn't going to. It hurt, every day, to wake up to a world that should've been filled with talk and endless energy.

It should've been filled with Stiles.

So, despite it being futile, he searched one final time. He had promised Melissa to stop after this, but what kind of father would just stop looking for their kid? No good parent would. Deep down he knew he wouldn’t stop until either Stiles was found or he wore himself out and ended up dead.

He was on his knees in the room Stiles had stayed in, looking under the dresser with a UV light - just in case he had missed something. But there was absolutely nothing. Stiles’ bed had been unmade, like he’d gone to use the bathroom and never returned. After the week was over, they had had to call the local police and report Stiles officially missing so his studies could be put on hold. The police had concluded that, despite it being very weird and highly implausible, Stiles had left on his own free will, and left to concentrate on cases that did have leads they could follow. It hadn’t bothered the pack because Derek was sure something supernatural was linked to Stiles’ disappearance.

The man insisted that there was no scent trail leading to the forest, or anywhere at that matter. Stiles had not left the house on the night of his disappearance. They had turned the house over looking for Stiles but came up with nothing. It was as if he had disappeared into thin air. Except there would’ve been the scent of magic if a witch had harmed him or if someone had cursed him.

Noah sighed and stood up, his knees groaning at the strain. He snapped the UV light off and turned the desk lamp on. Sitting heavily on the bed, he took his phone out of his pocket. There were three messages: the first was an update from Parrish who he had left in charge for the days he spent at the Hale cottage, the second from Melissa, reminding him to have something to eat before he went to bed. _“Whiskey is not food!”_ she admonished him. The third one was the weirdest. It was from Derek, letting him now that the wolf was going to be there in the morning. In the following months of Stiles’ disappearance, Derek had scouted the area inch by inch. Noah had often seen him around his house too, maybe keeping an eye on him now that Stiles wasn’t here. Noah wasn’t stupid, he had seen how his son had loved Derek, and how Derek had loved his son. Noah had promised himself that when he found Stiles, first he’d hug him so the boy could barely breathe, then he’d install tracking chips on all his clothes so he’d never disappear again, and _then_ he’d lock the two boys in a room together until they stopped being such chickens and just confess their feelings.

It was a good plan in Noah’s opinion. Better than the alternative one which involved buying a casket and a tomb stone.

Following Melissa’s instructions somewhat, Noah ate a microwave meal and washed it down it scotch. And a little bit more scotch. And more, until the bottle was empty and he felt bad for letting Stiles down again.

“You deserve a better dad, kid”, he muttered as he made his way to the living room couch where he had laid a pillow and a blanket for himself. He didn’t even bother changing out of his uniform, just collapsed onto the poorly made bed and tried emptying his mind and heart so he could catch some sleep.

\--------

Noah woke in the middle of the night with a dry mouth. Reluctantly, he got up and padded to the kitchen where he contemplated with water and whiskey. Water won, eventually, so he poured himself a glass of ice cold water. His clothes were sweaty and clung to his body, and when his mouth regained its moisture, his breath smelled awful. Personal hygiene hadn’t been on the top of his list for a while now, but this was bad. Noah told himself that he’d groom himself in the morning before Derek showed up. With his glass, he returned to the living room and sat down to his bed, the couch creaking under his weight.

It was full moon, and the light from outside cast enough light into the room that Noah noticed something gleaming in the opposing wall. Derek had showed him the little door Stiles had discovered on the night of his disappearance but they hadn’t found a key for it anywhere. Derek suspected that Stiles had taken it with him, but the others doubted it. What would Stiles do with a key that opened a doorway that was blocked?

But there the key was, Noah noticed when he went closer. Perfectly in its place in the keyhole.  He could’ve sworn it hadn’t been there when he had come here in the afternoon, or heck, when he had gone to sleep a few hours ago.

He squatted and inspected the key. It was old, maybe as old as the house. Derek had told him that the house was over a hundred years old, built by the first settlers in the area. Why the Hales hadn’t simply removed the door during the many renovations the house had gone through over the years? Why just seal it with bricks and cover with wallpaper?

He turned the key and to his surprise, he wasn’t met with red bricks but with a purplish tunnel.

“Oh, Stiles”, Noah sighed, sure that Stiles had found this same tunnel. Crawling down the tunnel hurt his poor knees but this was important; this was the way to Stiles.

Noah had expected something else than the exact same living room he had just left. He heaved himself onto his feet and dusted his knees as he looked around the room. It was odd, seeing copies of the furniture he had been seeing quite often in the past year.

Quietly, he ventured into the house. He was on guard as he checked every room downstairs but the house seemed empty. He moved upstairs and continued to clear every room.

Until Stiles’ room, he had found nothing but dust. In Stiles’ room, there was a lump burrowed under the comforter rising and falling along the breaths of whoever was there. Noah felt hope rising in his chest and walked next to the bed. Soft, brown tufts of hair stuck out from under the white comforter. He couldn’t resist the urge to run his fingers through them, and watched as his son blinked the sleep from his eyes at his touch.

"Dad?" Stiles asked groggily. Noah nodded, silent tears dripping down his cheeks.

"Dad!" Stiles shouted and shot up, hugging Noah tightly. “I missed you so much, dad”, Stiles mumbled into his chest. Noah’s shirt was already wet from both of their tears when Stiles began his story on how he ended up there. In the Other World as he called it. His speech was jumbled as he raced to the end of his story.

"-and he trapped me here! Dad, I've been trapped here for so long and I haven't found a way out!" he hiccupped. Noah pressed his son's head onto his shoulder in comfort.

"And, and, dad, I'm sorry but I had to give up, I couldn't-"

Noah stiffened at those words.

_I had to give up._

His son would never give up. _Never._ He'd keep fighting even when all hope was lost.

He removed the thing wearing his son's skin from his embrace and kept it an arm's length away.

"What are you and what have you done to my son?!"

The thing looked bewildered, and new tears gathered in its eyes.

"Dad, what are you talking about? I'm Stiles, your son!"

Noah glared at it harshly.

"No, you're not! My son would never give up! He'd never give up trying to find his way back to me!"

The thing let a tear fall down its cheek before smirking. Its skin looked so much more ashen than Stiles' and its eyes were nothing like the ones Stiles had gotten from his mother.

"Oh, Sheriff, you're good! Better than I expected. I had thought I could fool you for a bit longer than this but your connection to your son is far deeper than I had anticipated."

He walls had started closing in on them without Noah noticing it, his focus solely on the monster.

“What have you done to him?!” he questioned, getting all up in the thing’s face. It just kept smirking at him, and looked pointedly at the walls. Only then did Noah notice the situation he was in.

“Tick, tock, sheriff.”

Noah stared harshly into its eyes before glancing around himself and back over his shoulder. Stiles might be here, trapped. But what if he wasn’t? Then he’d be trapped. If he ran back, he could alert the pack and get their help. Derek was already heading up to the cottage.

He shoved it on its back on the floor and ran down the stairs and to the little door. He was stubborn like a mule but this was too important to fuck up; he needed back up and more information before trying anything else.

He dove into the tunnel and crawled as fast as he could through it. At the other end, he slammed the door shut and leaned against it, heaving big breaths.

Someone was in the room with him. He felt a presence in the darkness of the room.

“Derek? How are you already here?” he asked unnecessarily loudly. It must’ve been Derek. Who else it would’ve been?

He rose to his feet and squinted to see better. Suddenly, the lights snapped on, making him jump and shield his eyes at the sudden harsh light.

At the door to the living room stood yet another Stiles, this one thinner and paler than the one he remembered seeing off on the last weekend he ever saw Stiles. Unlike the previous one, this Stiles looked wary of him, squinting his eyes suspiciously and body tense as if he was waiting someone to attack him.

"Son?" Noah asked. He would go mad if this wasn't his real son - his Stiles.

When Noah took a step forward, Stiles backed up two.

“What’s my name?” Stiles asked. His face was stone but his voice trembled.

“Stiles?” Noah asked and tried to get closer again.

“What’s my name?!” Stiles screamed. The house shook around them, the valuables in the cabinet clinking against the glass.

“Mieczyslaw!” Noah shouted over the noise. “Your name is Mieczyslaw! You’re named after my father.”

It got dead silent. Even Stiles was still, not one muscle moving.

“You’re real.” Noah barely heard the whisper. “You’re real.”

Stiles jumped into his arms and Noah squeezed him tight, one hand on the back of Stiles’ head while the other was wrapped tightly around the boy’s middle. Their joyous moment was over quick when Stiles pulled off him with a horrified look on his face.

“What are you doing here?! You can’t be here!”

Noah kept his hold on Stiles, not letting him slip through his fingers again.

“I came here to save you!” he shouted back.

“And now you’re trapped here too!” Stiles freaked out and pulled at his hair. “Now you’re trapped here, with me, and you’re going to die too, and it’s my fault and-“, Stiles hyperventilated, each breath harder than the last.

“Shh, shh”, Noah comforted him and helped him sit down to one of the couches. This was familiar to him, something he had done for a long time. In this, he knew how to help Stiles and make him feel better.

Stiles’ breathing regulated but he still clung desperately to the front of Noah’s shirt. Noah pressed their foreheads gently together.

“Good, Mischief, you’re doing great”, he praised Stiles with his old nickname. He didn’t know what kind of tricks his son had been put through for him to be so distrusting of his father but he promised himself that whatever that thing was that had taken his son from him, he’d find a way to kill it.

\--------

Noah watched over Stiles as the boy slept. He had been yawning the whole time they had talked, mostly Stiles asking after the pack, and eventually admitted that he’d barely slept during his time in the Other World.

“How- , Stiles had swallowed. “How long have I been here?”

“A year”, Noah had told him. Stiles had laughed hollowly and pressed closer to his side.

“It only feels like a month”, he had said with an empty smile. Noah had known what was going through Stiles’ mind: his studies had been put to pause, his friends’ lives had moved on and his father had been eating junk food for a solid year without anyone forcing any vegetables down his throat to keep him healthy.

But Noah was so damn happy to just sit here, Stiles’ warmth pressed to his side. They’d find a way home in the morning. Noah wasn’t in a hurry anymore.

\--------

In the morning, Stiles cooked them some breakfast. Healthy, of course, fruits and egg whites. There was more color on Stiles’ cheeks already and his mood had lifted from last night.

“Why did it trap you here? Trap us?” Noah asked. Stiles had told him the gist of how he had ended up here, but he’d been more interested in listening to his father than talking.

Stiles ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. “I was told that he wanted to eat me. And I thought it was the traditional way, eating human flesh you know. I can’t believe how stupid I was”, he shook his head. “He wanted my magic. He’s slowly been eating my magic, weakening me.”

Noah had been surprised to learn that Stiles, his little Stiles, had _magic,_ inherent at that, and could bend nature with his willpower. He must’ve gotten it from Claudia. Claudia had always been so close to nature.

“I don’t know what he’ll gain from keeping you here. Unless you’ve got magic as well”, he raised his eyes at him with a somewhat hopeful look. Noah chuckled.

“I think I would’ve found out sooner if I had magic, Stiles. Your mother on the other hand – it would explain how she managed to have such a thriving garden.” The garden had suffered along with her, long and painful, and eventually died with her. He wouldn’t be surprised if she really had had magic running in her veins.

Stiles smiled ruefully and nodded, thinking the same as Noah. Noah cleared his throat and wiped the corner of his eye discreetly.

“So, what exactly are we up against?” he asked. Stiles drank the rest of his coffee, and started to explain.

“He’s called Void. I’m not sure what exactly he is”, Stiles told him frowning. Neither of them liked to not know something important like that. “He somehow controls all this”, he gestured all around them. Noah had seen the blankness that was beyond the windows, the empty space Void couldn’t be bothered to fill for his prisoners.

“At the moment, we are in the second layer of this pocket universe. The door is the only tunnel between this layer, the first layer and the real world, but because Void can control it, it can’t be trusted, and even if it could be, Void has the only key. Basically, we’re in a locked car with the child safety lock on.”

Noah was quiet and looked expectantly at Stiles. Stiles always had a plan formulating in his head.

“It just so happens that I figured out a tunnel even he can’t manipulate. It’s as old as this place, its magic older than Void’s.”

Noah ruffled his hair. “That’s my boy”, he praised. Stiles smiled briefly.

“Don’t get too excited, old man”, he teased. “So, we get out of here to the first layer. Void is there waiting for us, no doubt prepared to send us back here. How do we get past him? How do we kill him? Or is there a way to trap him here? Do we take the risk that he might be able to access the real world again if we just make a break for it?”

“We’re going with the easiest option”, Noah decided. “We do what it takes to get out, even if that means just slowing it down.”

Stiles opened his mouth to argue but Noah cut him off. “We can come back, better armed, better _prepared_ , and kill it. Let’s just find a way out first, okay?”

Stiles nodded once. “Okay”

Noah was getting Stiles out of here even if it was the last thing he did.

\--------

Both men were looking down the, supposedly, bottomless well. Noah hadn’t exactly warmed to the idea of jumping down a well when Stiles had told him about his plan; he was still doubtful but he trusted Stiles. And Stiles _had_ proved himself to be pretty powerful even if Void was sucking his magic.

As they had been standing at the backyard door and staring at the blankness, Noah had felt nervous of leaving the house, the only familiar thing in all this madness.

“And we’re going out there?” he had asked unsurely. Stiles had just nodded and closed his eyes with a deep breath. It had taken a moment, but a grass path had started to appear leading from the backdoor towards where the forest was supposed to be. Eyes still closed, Stiles had walked out and as he walked, more path had started to appear. Noah had followed closely. Eventually Stiles had stopped at what seemed to be a random spot but what had turned out to be the mouth of the well.

Noah had side-stepped his son and stood next to him, looking down at the broken boards that were partially covering the opening. They had kicked the boards aside, careful not to slip up and fall prematurely down.

"Are you ready?" Stiles asked. Noah looked at his son's scared face and took a hold of his trembling hand. Stiles turned to look at him and Noah swallowed hard around the lump forming in his throat.

"I love you", he said, hopefully not for the last time.

"Love you too, dad", Stiles said back, and with a deep breath, they jumped.

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

The falling was softer than he had thought, as if he was floating rather than free-falling. Noah’s hold on Stiles' hand loosened during the fall and he didn’t know if they were still side by side. He had closed his eyes some time during the fall, despite it being dark there anyway.

Suddenly, the floating feeling was gone and they dropped the last few feet and Noah landed awkwardly, pain shooting up his legs and he stumbled to the ground. He groaned loudly and squeezed his right knee to numb the pain.

“Dad!” Stiles shouted, alarmed and rushed to where he was lying. Noah gritted his teeth and collected the strength to speak when they heard the ground start to rumble. Stiles put his shaking hand on the grass and closed his eyes, concentrating hard. It sounded like something was approaching them underground.

Noah had barely blinked when Stiles had already pushed him firmly to the ground under him as something surged from the ground mere inches from where they were. Rocks and pebbles flew around and dirt splattered over them, some of it ending up in Noah’s mouth. He didn’t even splutter, just watched in shock as the dragon-like creature screeched at them, its maw huge and terrifying.

“Oh, fuck me”, Stiles breathed. Noah nodded, and started to scoot back despite the pain in his leg.

“I _hate_ Pythons!” Stiles exclaimed before running towards the dragon and willing the trees around them to wrap around it. It wasn’t enough though, and the Python managed to rip its head free.

“Stiles!” Noah screamed when it bent down, mouth wide open, and swallowed Stiles whole. No, no, this couldn’t be happening. They were getting out of here, they were so close to the door, they were-

Noah watched numbly as the Python turned its attention to him. He laid down, his eyes on the starry sky. Ready for what was to come.

There was swooshing sounds all over him, like arrows had been shot. Frowning, Noah sat up and saw the Python pierced with sticks and branches. It groaned and wavered before falling limb. He gasped, unable to believe what had just happened.

“Stiles?” he called. When there was no answer, he pulled himself up to his hurting leg and walked closer, calling his son again. As he opened his mouth to yell for a fourth time, Stiles crawled out of the Python’s mouth. He was covered in disgusting smelling slime but otherwise he seemed to be okay.

“I’m lucky they swallow their prey whole”, Stiles muttered as he pulled himself out the rest of the way. Noah helped him on his feet, looking him up and down frantically to make sure he was in one piece.

"Stiles! Are you okay?"

“Yeah, dad, I’m perfectly fine”, Stiles rolled his eyes and pushed his father’s hands away. “What I’m worried about are your knees”, he said and knelt to inspect them more closely, squeezing and rubbing them gently while muttering something about too much salt Noah’s his diet. He closed his eyes and put his hands on Noah’s kneecaps. Noah hissed in pain but after a moment, he felt much better. Stiles’ eyes rolled upwards like he was about to faint and he faltered a bit. Noah was there to keep him upright. They sat for a moment to get their bearings and rest after the fight.

Noah kept looking at the well’s direction. It looked just like the one they had just jumped into.

“Why can’t we just jump again?” he asked. “To the real world?”

“Because I don’t know how it works between here and there. The last one was easier because it was between magical layers. I don’t know how my spark will react in the real world, where magic is really limited. I think I learned to control my spark so quickly because I was surrounded my magic and it responded to my spark. So, I’m not willing to take the risk of falling down from the sky only to realize that I can’t soften our fall”, Stiles explained. Noah nodded and shivered. He wasn’t that keen on becoming a wet spot on the ground, so he started to follow Stiles.

This layer was so much more like the real world. Stiles didn’t have to magic-up a path for them, so they walked side by side, their shoulders brushing every now and then. But there was one detail different from the real world: there were no birds singing. In fact, there were no insects either. It was eerily quiet apart from their steps and heavy breathing.

The trees started to sway and creak but there was no wind making them do it. Noah had a bad feeling this meant that Void was coming for them. Stiles cursed under his breath.

“I thought it would take longer for him to notice us”, he hissed and stepped closer to Noah, ready to put himself between danger and his father.

 “You’re really starting to be more trouble than you’re worth, Stiles”, Void’s voice came from behind them. They swung around, Stiles stepping closer to it.

“Well, sorry for not taking a liking to being trapped here and being sucked off my life!” Stiles spat.

“But I was so nice to you, reuniting you with your father”, Void pouted.

“Go choke on mistletoe”, Stiles said through gritted teeth. Void chuckled. “Might as well, it won’t do anything to me as you well know.”

Stiles in a fit of anger launched a large rock at Void. Void hadn’t anticipated it and got hit square in the chest, knocking him off balance. Its face darkened, eyes now a shade of black instead of brown.  

“Oh, Stiles. You really should learn not to play with fire. Game on”, it said ominously and widened its stance. Stiles was prepared to take anything Void decided to throw at him. Noah was prepared to let his son handle the situation. What neither of them had been prepared for, was Void just cocking its head like it was listening to something. Noah heard nothing. Without a word, Void disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared.

Dumbfounded, they glanced at each other as if asking: “what the fuck was going on?”

“Are you good to go?” Stiles asked. Noah nodded and clapped Stiles’ shoulder. “Let’s get ourselves out of here.”

Noah knew that they’d gotten off easy. Void wouldn’t just leave them be if there wasn’t something major going on elsewhere. He thought about Derek, who was alone in the house. Maybe Void wanted the complete set: a spark and a werewolf, and was luring Derek into this trap at the very moment.

“When we get out of here, I’m going to take a long shower and eat my weight in curly fries”, Stiles told Noah as they walked.

“Can I be allowed some of these curly fries?” Noah asked. His diet had been shit lately but he deserved some comfort food after this ordeal. Besides, when Stiles had somewhat recovered from this, Noah would be back heart healthy foods.

Stiles grinned at him. “And we can order pizza too.”

Their light chatter died down when they reached the house and saw the people standing in the porch.

Derek stood at the top of the steps and both Stiles and Noah were wary of him.

“Stiles?” Derek asked when he saw them walking towards him, a confused look on his face. Void stood there, tears streaking down its cheeks, copy of Noah standing next to it, an arm slung protectively over its shoulder.

“Derek”, Stiles breathed. His eyes shone with unshed tears. He looked like he was begging for Derek for something. “Are you real? Are you really here too?”

Noah couldn’t be sure that the Derek standing in front of them was real or if this was one of Void’s tricks to try and make them stay.

Derek stepped back from Void but kept his distance to Stiles and Noah too.

“That’s him, Derek!” Void cried. “He trapped us here and now he’s come to mess with your head too!”

Derek looked helplessly between Stiles and Void, unable to recognize even with his werewolf senses which one was real.

“Tell me something only Derek would know”, Stiles demanded. Noah frowned and turned to his son. Stiles looked calmer now than before, but Noah knew him better, knew the hard line of his forehead, tightly squeezed lips and tense shoulders. Stiles was prepared to fight if this Derek turned out to be one of Void’s illusions.

Derek’s brows greased as he thought for a moment.

“When Stiles first moved to college, he didn’t want to admit that he was lonely and told his dad and Scott not to come visit him. It was hard for him the first weeks. I knew how he felt and drove to see him on a Friday and stayed there the whole weekend. I didn’t bear knowing Stiles wasn’t happy.”

Tears glistened in Stiles’ eyes as he listened to Derek. From that, Noah knew this was the real Derek: the real Derek who was also now trapped here just as they were.

“Stiles”, Derek started but choked up. He cleared his throat and a stony mask slipped onto his face. “Stiles, do you love me?” Both Stiles and Void answered yes at the same time. Derek’s eyes traveled to Void and he smiled. Void smiled back and jumped into Derek’s arms. They hugged tight, Derek sticking his nose into the crook of Void’s neck. Noah had never felt as furious as he did in that moment. He could only imagine the heartbreak Stiles was feeling right now.

Noah was about to turn to comfort Stiles but movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention.

Derek had plunged his clawed hand into Void’s chest, and twisted its hair with the other.

“I don’t know what the hell you are”, Derek growled through his fangs. “But nothing lives without its head”.

With that, he sunk his teeth into Void’s neck and literally teared the flesh off while Void screamed and gurgled. Noah wanted to shield Stiles from the gory sight but knew that Stiles was used to this. Sadly, this life had been a norm for Stiles ever since he was sixteen.

A vine shot up from the ground and whipped around Derek’s throat. It was followed by others that wrapped around various parts of Derek to pull him off Void. Stiles responded with his own magic a moment later and dried up the vines as they sprouted from the ground. Sweat glistened on his forehead as he struggled against Void. The vines were getting weaker, changing from bright green to a sickly yellow.

Derek kept tearing the flesh until Void’s head dropped to the ground and he let the body slip from his hold. The last vines had barely risen from the ground before they were black and dead at their feet. Derek was breathing harshly as he looked at the body, but Noah’s attention was drawn to Stiles, who had put a hand on his shoulder to support himself. His eyes were closed tightly in discomfort and Noah grasped him tightly at his waist to make sure he didn’t fall. Color was slowly returning to his face and the hollows of his cheeks were filling up to what they were supposed to be. Noah hadn’t even realized how sick Stiles had looked before. Noah took his whole weight when Stiles slumped on him, unconscious.

“How did you know it wasn’t Stiles?” Noah asked when Derek finally snapped out of whatever trance he had been in. The man didn’t answer, just walked over and tried taking Stiles out of Noah’s arms but Noah just tightened his hold on his son.

“How did you know?!” Noah asked again. To think that if Derek had been wrong…

“His heartbeat was too steady. When you finally tell someone that you love them you don’t say it with a steady heart. It flutters with excitement and nervousness”, Derek explained. Noah looked at him with calculating eyes before surrendering Stiles to the wolf.

“Let’s go”, Derek said and started to drag Stiles towards the door. Noah hurried after him.

“Wait!” he shouted suddenly. “Stiles said that the door can’t be trusted.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered”, Derek assured him and shoved Noah rather harshly on his knees in front of the door. When Noah didn’t immediately move, he growled and snapped his jaws at him.

Noah obeyed; it wasn’t like he _wanted_ to spend a minute more in that place.

The tunnel shook and rumbled, kind of like what Noah had pictured an empty stomach did when it growled. Derek pushed Stiles out as Noah pulled him out of the tunnel. He heard the door banging shut and a key turning in the lock while he dragged Stiles further into the room.

“Now, let’s go”, Derek growled as he lifted Stiles into his arms. Noah struggled to get his bearings, and a warm hand landing on his back startled him.

“Let me help you, sir”, a younger woman said to him with a kind smile and supported Noah as they rushed out of the house that had also started to shake and rumble like the tunnel had. Noah didn’t have the time to feel embarrassed on needing the help of a young girl to stay on his feet when the house creaked and groaned dangerously around them.

Derek had already buckled Stiles up and turned his car around when Noah and his helper reached them. The girl shamelessly groped Noah’s pockets for his keys and told him that she was driving. Noah was too flabbergasted to argue and sat down to the front seat.

Looking back from the rearview mirror, they saw the house collapsing in on itself.

Good, Noah thought and took a deep breath. Otherwise he would’ve had to come here to tear it down himself.

“I’m Annie, by the way”, the girl piped up when it was clear Noah had almost forgotten her existence.

“Noah”, he answered curtly. “And- thank you. For helping us”, he added awkwardly.

“I’m a spark, like your son”, Annie told him. “He’s a bit more powerful than I am but I’ve got a trick or three in my sleeve. My grandma, she told us what to do. How to get you out. Well, you were a surprise, Derek didn’t know you had gone in there too. But we got you out!”

Noah quirked a smile. Maybe rambling was a spark-thing rather than Stiles-thing.

“How did Derek find you?” he asked.

“Deaton contacted us about a week ago. We’re not so easily found, even by druids, so it took him time to locate us. We, well, my grandma mainly, are witches who specialize in ancient texts. You don’t even know how boring some if the stuff is!” she complained. “Translating and preserving texts, studying dead-languages, nothing cool ever happened before this!”

At Noah’s sharp look she apologized sheepishly.

“What creature Void actually was?” he continued to ask. Annie shook her head, now more serious.

“No one really knows. My grandma told us that it was a creature of darkness. It fed off on magic. There wasn’t much written on it, so my grandma contacted one of the fairies that trapped it there.”

“How do you contact a fairy?” Noah asked. Annie shrugged.

“Grandma tells me I’m not advanced enough in my studies to know so she didn’t tell. Anyway, they trapped it and then some humans decided that it’d be a great idea to build a house on top of it. The dimension they trapped it in had holes and Void managed to lure people in.”

“Stiles told me that it was basically a goldmine for Void when the Hales moved there because werewolves are magic.”

Annie nodded proudly.

“Your son’s very smart, figuring that out. But before that, regular people lived there, and it took children. There’s magic in the love between a child and a parent,” she explained. Noah thought it for a moment before telling her what Void had done when he first entered the other world.

“Maybe it tried to fool you at first, pretend to be your son and live off on you and save Stiles’ magic for later. Then, when you realized it wasn’t Stiles it decided to cause Stiles pain. I think-“, Annie bit her lip. “I think it would’ve killed you soon if you hadn’t gotten out of there.”

“Well, that’s comforting”, Noah said uneasily.

“You’re out now, sir. Don’t get stuck on the what-ifs”, Annie advised him.

And Noah agreed. He was out. _Stiles_ was out and sitting safely in Derek’s car with the werewolf ready to rip any monster who tried to hurt him to pieces.  That was all that mattered to Noah.

Later that night when they were safe with Annie’s grandma Elise, Noah watched contently as Derek and Stiles snuggled comfortably on Elise’s tiny couch, Stiles under Derek’s arm with the wolf’s nose buried in his hair. In that moment Noah knew that Stiles would always have someone who was willing to go to the edge of the world even after Noah himself was gone.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like the ending wasn't as good as it could've been but I didn't want to make you guys wait for the ending any longer. Please do ask me if you have any questions about this fic or something wasn't explained well in the story. 
> 
> I made a tumblr account too! I haven't had the time to really do anything with it yet but link your blogs so I can follow you  
> https://aamunkoittoao3.tumblr.com/


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